High in high school? It happens everywhere

fosters.com

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Posted Sep. 22, 2013 at 3:15 AM

Posted Sep. 22, 2013 at 3:15 AM

Have you ever played the role of “fly on the wall” with your kids? It can be very informative, even shocking at times.

I spent a little “fly time” in my living room recently. It was the night before the first day of school. We were all sitting around. I had assumed my “fly on the wall” position on the sofa with the news on and the following conversation went on as if I wasn’t there at all:

Kid 1: “So, first day tomorrow. I bet some kids will be showin’ up high.”

Kid 2: “Yup, for sure. I know which ones, too.”

Kid 1: “Who do ya think?”

Kid 2: “Bet you can guess.”

Kid 1: “OK. I will.”

Then, Kid 1 reeled off a list of names of kids he suspected would show up to Somersworth High School the next morning — Day 1 of the new school year — under the influence of drugs.

Now before you get on your high horse and say “not my kid,” or dismiss this as a couple of problem kids talking about other problem kids, think again. A national survey that came out last year noted one in five students drink, smoke or do drugs during the school day. The survey was conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

And don’t blame Somersworth High School. The problem is everywhere. There are kids getting high at all the local public high schools and even some private schools where parents are paying top dollar to give their children the best education possible.

Somersworth High School Principal Sharon Lampros acknowledged the problem and said schools, including Somersworth, are trying harder than ever to keep kids safe. Besides the usual disciplinary routine for students found to be intoxicated at school, Lampros says Somersworth and other high schools are looking at a number of anti-drug programs, including Life of an Athlete. Check out the website at http://www.lifeofanathlete.us/.

The program, which acknowledges athletes as a population vulnerable to substance abuse, was presented at a summer leadership program to the N.H. Interscholastic Athletic Association. According to Lampros, Life of an Athlete uses a tribunal program to control substance abuse rather than the contracts athletes usually sign.

I also spoke to Dana Hilliard, who is now the Somersworth Middle School principal, but spent some years in the trenches in his old job as vice principal at Somersworth High School. Hilliard acknowledges kids showing up high at school is a growing problem, and believes he knows why. The behavior is rooted in the culture of the ’80s and Generation X folks who were raised in that era when drugs — especially pot — were not considered to be a big deal. “Many adults from that era have a rather lackadaisical outlook when it comes to chemical substances, especially pot,” Hilliard notes. And some of those adults view alcohol as a much more serious threat to their kids and society as a whole.

The problem is these adults are now the parents of today’s teenagers and their permissive attitudes about pot and other drugs is showing up in their kids who think nothing of smoking a little weed to take the edge off a rough day at school.

Kids are also confused by all the information out there as part of the great national debate about pot use. We say pot is dangerous for kids, but many states, including New Hampshire, are giving thumbs up to medical marijuana and other places are decriminalizing the drug.

And, ironically, the good job authorities have done in enforcing laws to combat underage drinking has likely increased drug use among teens, Hilliard said.

“These days, it’s easier for a kid to get ahold of a controlled narcotic than it is to get some alcohol,” Hilliard said.

In his teenage years, Hilliard recalls it was common for high school kids to have a house to go to where they could drink. The parents were complicit in the arrangement because they falsely believed they were keeping kids safe. Now, Hilliard notes, there are no safe houses for alcohol consumption because the penalties are so severe. No parent would risk it. But, there are parents who let their homes be used by high school kids who want to smoke pot. I know of a few places where the parent actually smokes pot with the kids!

Hilliard is alarmed by two trends: Kids are getting into prescription drugs at an alarming rate; and the age of experimentation is getting younger and younger.

Though he himself is a product of the ’80s, Hilliard sees great harm in youthful drug experimentation, including pot. It’s not harmless and there is mounting scientific evidence that smoking marijuana is very risky for the still developing brains of middle and high school students.

And just so you’ll know: If Somersworth school officials suspect your child is high on campus, they will swing into action. Your child will immediately be searched and questioned. If they do not ’fess up, the school resource officer will be called in to administer a field sobriety test.

Most kids tell the truth if given the chance, Hilliard notes. In his six years as a school administrator, he has had only two cases in which students have failed to tell the truth about their intoxication, triggering the sobriety test and police involvement.

Hilliard’s advice to parents is clear and simple: Know what your kids are up to and don’t assume they won’t try drugs. Assume they will.

“Be real,” he said. “Foster strong bonds and close relationships and have open and honest conversations.”